Most puppy’s bad behavior is created by their owners within the first week of owning them. People want to “start over” with a blank slate with a dog with no issues, and immediately go to work creating all the problems they wish to avoid through bad advice, They are determined to make it work, no matter what, but it’s the “no matter what” concept that perpetuates the problems when the foundation was wrong in the first place. The puppy is the victim here.

It has become acceptable to tell our dogs that if they will not do, they will suffer. Getting someone to complete tasks for you because you put a gun to their head is not teaching, just as getting a dog to perform for you because you have coerced it is not training. It works, yes, but do we really just want to make it work? Have we given up on excellence in our instruction?

There are innumerable factors that all contributed to the development of these dogs undesirable behaviors. I could blame one person or I could blame every person who’s had anything to do with these dogs. The blame would be justified in either scenario, and pointless in both scenarios. The fact of the matter is that these are ruined animals and we have failed them.

Every ruined dog has a root; in most cases their problems did not spring up overnight but grew day by day We need to do better.

Roman Gottfried is offering all of us a chance to do this better. I subscribe to Roman’s concept of giving the dog a choice, and let them find the correct choice on their own and their own accountability. Teach the dog to think, and channel that energy and creativity in a positive manner. – Karyl Parks- Search and Rescue Dog Trainer.